3
Some dude with a battleaxe
that challenged The Doctor to a match but made the mistake of allowing the Doctor to choose the weapons. The doctor chose electric guitars (the tank is being used as a mobile dais of awesomeness...choosing it as a weapon would have been unsporting). Later SDWABA gets bitten by a snake and thus is turned into a Dalek which reminds me how much I dislike that new Dalek ability especially since using it on Earth in the indeterminate mediaevalish period should have resulted in Earth being exterminatificatimitized and Total Overwhelming Victory for the Daleks.
OTOH we got the old blue Daleks and The Mistress is SPOT ON. The actress must have really studied the old Delgado episodes, she's got the part down perfect.

September 25, 2015

School Live! Ends

For a show about the antics of four high school girls, their faculty advisor and their dog as they try to keep their club active in the face of a downright hostile faculty and student body, School Live! has been rather more emotionally engaging than one would expect.

It's actually been quite the tear jerker at times.

However, despite some quite heart-wrenching moments...

"You have been and always shall be...My friend."

and the fact that one of the overarching themes is the importance of seeing the world as it is (ugliness and all) rather than how one wants it to be...

"Oh please. It's not about me. It's about my students"

...this show has maintained a surprisingly upbeat outlook overall.

All in all, School Live! has managed to stay quite solid (if sometimes emotionally taxing) all the way through. There really weren't any weak episodes and it stands as one of the absolute best in its genre.

This last episode, the graduation episode, is especially poignant. People say their goodbyes...

"OK Point of order: Th...Wait. Who's missing?"

...various plot lines are wrapped up and, intriguingly, some new ones are started. The show's ending is surprisingly open ended and hints at a sequel...which would be a most welcome development, as this series was outstanding.
Boy howdy this has been a roller coaster! So apparently, the cure that was in the bunker, in the case covered with Megune's bloody handprints...works.

"Shhhhh! If we can keep this quiet I can blow off those student loans!"

Furthermore, it appears from Megune's notes that there are other civil defense shelters similar to the school that presumably have similarly equipped and stocked bolt holes, which means that the world ought not to have ended...but something went wrong...I mean wronger than anticipated.

With the schools inverters destroyed, they have to make for one of the nearby shelters.

"Road trip!"

This would be sufficiently open ended ending that a sequel might be in the works, but the stinger shows someone finding one of the cards that the girls released with their balloons......so I'm especially hopeful that they do produce another series.

2
Unstated:
"Look...the bologna has tooth marks....we've heard no extraneous barking so...probably a rat. Yuki wants it to be a dog...We'll humor her as we are wont to do. But damn...I have no intention of going back into a half flooded basement that has nothing more to offer except possibly zombie stragglers and rats...zombie or otherwise."
Personally, I thought the last half was actually a nice touch in that it related to the overall story and provided a modicum of closure that would have otherwise been lacking. The girls indulged in a bit of whimsey and held a ceremony marking the closing of one chapter of their lives as they prepared to embark on another one.
It also dovetailed nicely with the show's earlier conceit of putting an everyday face on the school to distract from the utter madness around them. This applied not only to Yuki's madness, but to the School-Live Club itself which was intended by Sakura Sensei and Yuuri to afford a sense of normalcy.

Note that the two shelters within range that they must decide between (the chemical plant and the university) represent the two most traveled paths after high school...work or college.

September 19, 2015

GATE Ends

...sort of.

For a show that has had some truly sublime moments, this last episode was something of an anti-climax, being nothing more than a set up for another cour. That makes it less than satisfying as a series finale.

This isn't isn't any sort of cliffhanger as such, it just puts political and procedural roadblocks in the way of the dark elf from the last episode.

Who has TWO ears.

She's the last hope for her people and the burden is weighing heavily on her.

One neat bit of detail; the different languages continue to be an issue.Yao Haa Dushi, the aforementioned dark elf is thwarted mainly by the language barrier until Leili provides translation (after which she continues to be thwarted by other means). Several other minor characters lament their limited knowledge of other languages and phrase books are shown to be precious things that can be the key to a decent job for the locals.

This episode did throw out a few other character/plot threads. Tuka, the crazy cracker elf may be shell-shocked and broken, but she is highly functional and sharp enough that she able to hold down a job in the refugee camp that requires at least a degree of literacy,

It turns out that the lepus lass who runs one of the bars, is actually Delilah with a radically different hairstyle.

'Dem earrings...

She was one of Kain's praetorian maids from Italica introduced in episode 7. It's unclear if her coiffure is intended as a disguise or is the result of access to modern conditioner. She certainly seems to have some ulterior motive, though whether she's working for Kain, the Empire or a third party is unclear.

The harpy mage who went from POW to security guard actually has a name, (Myutie)...

...and thus might be more than a nice continuity nod.

The male fans having been generously provided with a cornucopia of maids, the production staff has thrown a bone to the otakuettes as well....

...to complement the yaoi appreciation subplot.

Finally, in a truly inspired moment, Leili is applying science to her magical theory. She has gotten hold of a middle school chemistry book...and is modifying her sorcery to take its wisdom into account.

This is completely logical and totally in character for her. Her teacher is quite impressed and seems to grasp the potential of her refining his techniques with the science of the other world.

This episode was certainly neat and had a lot going on, but as a season ender it was rather unsatisfying.

The series high-point was probably Rory's speech in episode 8.

The detail and thought that has gone into the story of this show is remarkable and the characters tend to be quite interesting. Aside from the unspeakable mess that was episodes 9 and 10, everyone and every group has had realistic and well thought out motivations and are astonishingly well realized (though Itami is coming close to Gary Stu territory). Note that hose two episodes (9&10) are so different in tone and they really don't contribute much to the story (aside from the flower laying ceremony) that I'm unsure if the weird and incongruous divergence wasn't some sort of executive meddling...it does not seem to fit with the meticulous thoughtfulness of the rest of the series.

All in all this was one of the better shows in recent years Episodes 9&10 nearly killed it for me, but it bounced back immediately and it is a testament to how good the show is that despite those, I'm looking forward to this show's continuation in January.

3
Yeah, they lost me a few episodes in, and I loved the first series. Too much social media and politics, and I just didn't care about New Girl as much as they wanted me to. Does she by any chance sacrifice herself to take headbubbles and badcrowds out of the series before it's half over? Because that would help a lot.

4I was quite unimpressed with the first few episodes. To sit though that mess I think one would have to be really bo....
Oh.
:-P

Yeah, the first half of the season is pretty blah. All the social media stuff actually has a point and leads into the actual overarching plot. Which, as I mentioned, goes in an interesting direction. Still a little wobbly, but not too bad.

September 13, 2015

2
That was really surprisingly well done. The only problem was a technical problem with the rendering package in how it handled sparks from fuses. But as to the rest of it, that was really excellent -- and clearly a hell of a lot of work.

Phoenix Wright is contracted to conduct delicate inter-dimensional negotiations while posing as a member of the Foreign Ministry, under an assumed name.

That title and entire first sentence is probably not true...probably.

In actuality, the screen-cap is from Episode 11 of GATE. The previous two episodes left such a foul taste in my mouth that I nearly dropped the show. With episode 11 this series appears to have gotten back on the rails and has gone a long way to cleanse the palette.

1
Further, as a result of the treaty with Italica/Itarica, isn't that whole region pretty much a free-trade zone now? As I cannot imagine that the Empire is known for their light tax hand, people woiuld be pouring into the Arnus area....

2
I'm not sure about that but it seems unlikely that the JSDF is collecting taxes on the refugees, so, as far as Arnus goes you are surely right. Italica is a major trading hub with at least two Roman style roads and a port terminating there, so while it is not at ground zero for this boom, the town is uniquely well positioned to profit from the situation, which is, after all, less than a days travel from them. The fact that the mayor and effective regent (the Housekeeper) sent several of their household's crack team of beastly praetorian domestics to assist with security was surely not entirely gratitude. They are protecting and helping to develop a potential cash cow. I note upon re-watching it, that Tomita explicitly stated that some of the aforementioned maids had opened up at least one tavern, so Italica is actively invested in and drawing money from the rapidly growing bazaar.

You are correct, good sir. My memories were a blend of the anime and manga. In the anime ep6 (that I shall fondly recall until I take my dying breath*), Hamilton reads out the treaty. Around 16:15-18 she lightly touches on the Alnus Community.

We can see a copy of the treaty in the manga, ch13 (scroll down about 1/3 of the way; no, I'm still to old and stupid to get hotlinks to work). To wit:

"The Alnus living community under guardianship of the JSDF is from now on exempted from all taxes raised on trading and money exchange within the city of Italica and all other areas within rule of Countess Formal."

As I'm sure the JSDF extended the same benefit to themselves, this creates a huge, new free-trade zone in the Empire's Southwest flank (begging the question of compass directions). I'd bet any ruler on the other side of this zone is fingering their worry-beads and thinking about where their allegiance will be tomorrow.

*At six months at one day of a BP of 155/98+, my wife threatened me with a weapon** this AM to call a doctor. I relented. Really: I'd hate to die before I see how all this ends!

Italica is the nearest major city to Arnus, and most of the Japanese goods flowing in and being sold are being carried to Italica and redistributed from there. The goods are untaxed when they enter Italica, but there's nothing in that treaty that forbids Italica from taxing the goods as they leave for other destinations.

Besides which, there are other kinds of taxes. All that trade is causing a huge improvement in the GDP of Italica, and things like income taxes will be rising as a result.

September 12, 2015

In the latest episode of School Live, the rainy season brings with it CABIN FEVER! This years strain of cabin fever is bad enough that it can only be delayed...and not prevented by ping pong balls.

Miki FINALLY finishes the foreign novel she's been translating, Now she must deal with the knowledge that hours of her life have been wasted as the book was rather overhyped.

"It was like...ancillary tendentiousness."

Yuki tries to boil water...with unexpected results.

"Dear God...Don't let me burn another kettle!"

Sakura Sensei's discussion of her haircut with Kurumi ends up having a profoundly unintended effect on Kurumi's outlook on life.

"You cut off a meter of hair...and kept the ahoge?"

Yuuri discovers to her considerable annoyance that pinky-swears can be used as emotional blackmail.

"My name is Yuuri..NOT Yuri...so your request is invalid. "

And of course...hi-jinx ensue.

I should clarify that by Hi-jinx I mean a Gatling gut-punch. The buildup and pacing on this show has been superb, and this episode is no exception.

So...it works different for dogs...they become FAST zombies...Fast zombies are unfair.

Poor Kurumi!
Even more, poor Yuuri...she did promise to do what needed to be done. In retrospect that was blatant foreshadowing. Of course, EVERYTHING is going pear shaped at this point. I was just squirming in my seat throughout the last half of this episode...and if it were not an ottoman, I'd have been underneath it.. This show is a genuinely well done thriller.

This series has been surprisingly well done and a considerable amount of interesting developments happened in this episode. While I'm eager to discuss them, I ask anyone who does so, out of courtesy to other readers who are not as far along, to please use spoiler tags as follows....

September 06, 2015

Oh..

There seems to be a lot of this sort of thing going around this season.

In the picture above, Tuka is wondering why her dad is not greeting her as she returns from Earth to the D&D land from which she hails. There had been some foreshadowing of this in that she'd ordered 2 sets of clothes and double rations, but I had interpreted this a a mourning ritual. Nope! Tuka (Tsuka?) here appears to be insane. You see, her dad was evaporated in front of her eyes by a dragon in episode 4.

From episode 10 of GATE which was only 43% as stupid as episode 9 and was about 20% cooler to boot. I would normally be very likely to drop a show when it insulted me as badly as this one did but the first 8 episodes were EXCEEDINGLY good and the utter non sequitur of a plot thread that derailed the show seems to be completely over. Thus, I'll give it till at least next week to see if it has gotten back on track.

2
That was an excellent essay. I entered a Kirk v. Picard argument several years ago by pointing out the following: if there were an actual, honest episode of Star Trek made based on how the original series was written vs how TNG was written, Kirk would attack Picard as a Manchurian traitor smuggled in by Klingons or Romulans to take control of the Federation.

In today's episode of School Live, Miki takes a break from analyzing the purloined papers they got from Sakura Sensei's office, and announces that she's made a surprising discovery.

"This dog...There's no.......IT'S A ROBOTI!!"

Actually, no.

She discovers that her day is to consist of the sort of obligatory beach episode that almost always shows up in vapid comedies about cute girls in high school being nonthreatening. Thus her surprise at it happening in this series is entirely understandable.

Given the premise of the show, that the School Live Club is not to leave the school grounds (especially after that fiasco at the mall); a beach episode would strain credulity, but they get around this by having the girls clean the koi pond on the roof.

...of the school...

If you are pondering why there is a koi pond on the roof of the school, you are not getting into the spirit of things...or you've avoided the spoiler tags.

That a Japanese cartoon airs its summer vacation episode on Labor Day Weekend only adds to the overall unlikelyhood.

In any event, hijinks ensue.

...including a surprisingly epic water-gun fight.

Despite the fact that this is mostly a straight up 'day at the pool' episode the show remains engaging and intelligent, contrasting their determination to remain upbeat against the series of perpetual annoyances that is high school.

I do note that over the last two episodes point of view has changed to the extent that the narrator is now being less dishonest than your humble reviewer.

For one thing the discovery Miki makes when going through the "CONTINGENCY PLAN FOR ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE" document is actually that there is a sub-basement-bunker underneath the school, that the other girls were heretofore unaware of. Of course in last week's episode we learned that the zombie apocalypse was anticipated and associated with a bioweapon, while the girls contemplate a reconnoitering of the basement to get supplies and perhaps more answers, Yuki's suggestion that they clean the koi pond derails the plan because, frankly, these girls need a break bad.

One bit I'd forgotten about from the mall episode.

The radio confirms that the outbreak is not confined to their town or valley. This had been implied as a possibility last episode, but no, the show managed to dash those hopes.

There is also discussion of the solar arrays and water purification system. The latter uses water from the river rather than the cistern which answers questions regarding their water supply.

Despite their discussion of their situation (out of earshot of the utterly insane Yuki of course) the episode was, in fact a much needed relief and change of pace.

Well until the end when the dog broke loose and ran into the basement and we saw this...

...confirming our worst fears from last episode.

So...what is that mound under the cross on the roof? (I'm guessing it's Kurumi's fiance?) Is there going to be another one for the dog?

Still, as grim as this show can be, it is remarkably engaging.

This is a really smart and well done show, surprisingly touching in that it is about dealing with life's little problems in as upbeat a way as possible and the benefits of persistence....

You know, in hindsight this is an even more meaningful development.

Despite its overdone premise, this remains, thus far, one of the best shows this season.

ISTM that Sakura-senesi is partially transparent in that screenshot, i.e. she's a ghost (as ReallyBored speculated in the comments for Episode 6), and not a zombie. So it's still possible that the mound with the cross on it is her grave, after all. If that the case, then Sakura-sensei is dead, which (in a morbid sort of way) is a good thing--better dead than zombified, IMHO. OTOH, she isn't resting in peace.

Going back to RB's comments for Ep6: perhaps when Yuki is talking to Sakura-sensei, she isn't being (entirely) delusional--she may actually be talking to Sakura-sensei's ghost. That might be contributing to Yuki's insanity. The next question is, why is Sakura-sensei's ghost haunting the school? Is she seeking revenge on Yuki (who may have been partially responsible for her death), or is she trying to help Yuki and the other girls? (I really hope it's the latter.)

Posted by: Peter the Not-so-Great at Sat Sep 5 09:20:31 2015 (dzzLh)

3
Well, PTNSG, that would explain much
I'm not sure though. The implication seems to be very strong that she is a zombie, especially after the bit with the journal at the beginning of last episode. Of course, having been zombiefied her ghost might look as she did when she died. I don't know. This show has been less than straightforward at times.

I'm kind of surprised that this episode was almost upbeat (until the end) & even the end only confirmed something that had been hinted at last episode.

4The
implication seems to be very strong that she is a zombie, especially
after the bit with the journal at the beginning of last episode.

I took another look at that screencap, and although Sakura-sensei still looks transparent (like a ghost) to me, she also seems to be shambling like a zombie, and she has what look like open sores on her left arm. The left sleeve of her dress appears to be torn, as well.

Of course, having been zombiefied her ghost might look as she did when she died.

That is a possibility. That also raises two questions, one of them potentially disturbing:

1. If Sakura-sensei was a zombie when she died, and she retained her zombie appearance when she became a ghost, did she also retain her zombie mentality, or does her ghost still have her human mind and personality?
2. How did she die after she became a zombie? The disturbing possibility is that the girls killed her, either in self-defence or as a mercy-killing. (Now that would have driven Yuki insane, I'd bet.) OTOH, killing a zombie would have been a very tall order for the girls, given their apparent lack of suitable weapons.